Wow. It's been an eventful few days. I started having one side of the face tics and eventually ended up visiting the ER on Tuesday. I have Bells Palsy now which is temporary (by which they mean up to a few weeks) paralysis of half of my face. It may be stress and or the pregnancy that brought it on. My first real complication of any sort of the pregnancy at 40+1.

It's a nerve condition and doesn't affect the baby thankfully. He is fine, we went for fetal monitoring straight after the ER. So I'm not going to type much because I'm trying to rest and my eye is a little off on the left side... blinking is weird and I have to tape it sleeping.
My husband is taking really good care of me it has been an emotional few days. I'm 40+3 today. We did discuss induction options with the ob today and I'm pleased to say they were very anti-induction. So, in theory, am I, but this shit is pretty real and I can't lie I have thought about it.

So anyway I'm thankful and impatient and eager to be not pregnant. My vanity is shaken and I can't help about how our first picture will be different than I expected. But we are both healthy and consensus is that the palsy will go away completely and my husband has been so incredible. I have to be thankful for how much I've learned about how he and I can get through a crisis together.

Take care all and happy birthing.

Anna, married to my soulmate and expecting #1 in May 2011.... 3 kitties

My DH had this experience when he was 19!! He called me the night before it happened to say his eye was twitching and it felt weird. The next morning he woke up half his face completely numb. It was severe and he sobbed when I saw him for the first time (we weren't living together at the time I was 3 hours away because he was in school)...He felt like it would last forever and was terrified of how he looked and what had happened to him..

I can't imagine how much more stressful it is being so very pregnant! Congratulations btw on your soon to be new baby! Anyway I just wanted to say that it gets better, it might take more than a month (I don't want to scare you but...) but DH's face is fine again (although it has been over 6 years since it happened) and he has no residual issues from it short of an eye that gets slightly lazy when he has been drinking and his muscles are relaxed (only I can tell anymore)...I assume the doctors at the ER (you said you went to the ER right?) hooked you up with some facial muscle exercises? Or a PT? DH did exercises for month and it really helped him. He had to have his eye taped too...And use drops to keep it moist...

I am impressed with how you are handling it (DH was terribly shaken by the whole ordeal) and I just want to say again congrats on your baby and you ARE healthy, thats why Bell's Palsy is so frustrating, the doctor's never gave him a real reason it happened and he is perfectly fine now...just bizarre.

My dad developed Bell's Palsy after a dental procedure about ten years back, and fortunately it only lasted a week or so. It tends to go away gradually, so chances are you will have enough control of your face to smile lovingly at baby when s/he is born. :)

It's a strange thing. I have gotten a lot of supportive anecdotes about the condition going away. I'm also on my best no-stress behavior. Thanks for your stories keep em coming and take great care everyone.

Anna, married to my soulmate and expecting #1 in May 2011.... 3 kitties

I'm so sorry you're going through this. It can't be pleasant at all. I hope it rapidly subsides once the baby arrives. Have faith that you will go into labor on your own. I am 40wks+5 and definitely feeling the anxiety of going past my due date, however, this is my 3rd and my 1st was 9 days late and when I did finally go into labor it was very fast.

My grandpa went through Bell's Palsy too, while already in his 80s... it was a slow recovery but it WAS a recovery - he had polio as a child and the docs told him something to the effect of between his age and the polio's somewhat long-term impact on his overall nervous system, he may never recover, but he continues to look more like his old self every time I see him. You're young and healthy (yay!) and I think that will help you make that quick recovery. Just keep relaxing and thinking about all the oxytocin nursing will soothe you with! :) You sound like you have as positive an attitude as you could have about it, and that too will help things calm down. Big hugs!

Thanks everyone your kind words and sympathy are really helpful and healing to me. Can also report the docs in my ob practice are firmly against induction and I'm really proud OF THEM. They talked me down a bit! Had a good rational measured conversation and of all the stuff I've seen about medical establishment wanting to get you in and get the baby out I'm pleased beyond belief at the docs in my practice wanting to wait till my uterus gets the show going. The baby is in great shape so I know that is the driver for them.

Anna, married to my soulmate and expecting #1 in May 2011.... 3 kitties

I had bell's palsy when I was 16. It did go away. I forgot what they gave me to help it heal faster (I doubt you can take that while pregnant though). I still sometimes can feel a bit more weakness on one side of my face, but in all it is long gone! One neat thing I learned to do while having Bell's palsy is to lift one eyebrow only. It's my new parlor trick! :)

I have to say it was the strangest sensation ...my tongue felt funny then the next morning I couldn't blink one eye. I couldn't whislte and smiling was only 1/2 a smile!

I remember get a small sponge damp and slipping it under an eye patch to keep my eye from drying.

crashing to tell you I had a paralyzed cranial nerve while pregnant. It was the one next to the one that causes bell's palsy, and gave me terrible double vision and migraines. it went away very quickly--within a week or so.